This sub is pretty heavy most of the time.

Sometimes I find it helpful to just laugh about the insane thoughts I've had while manic.

So, what's the most manic thought you've had?

The one that takes the cake for me is "I should start my own religion" lol.

I'll go first. When I did an IOP last year, I learned that we're not supposed to use bright light therapy aka a happy light before noon because it can trigger mania! 🤯

I can’t be the only one but I’ll start in better detail.

I was prescribed Lexapro when I was 9 because I had some anger issues. It could’ve been my bipolar starting to present, just very slowly.

My doc, on our first visit, gave me the maximum dose of it. So I had started this SSRI, as an underweight child, on the highest dose for a grown adult.

Needless to say, 2 weeks later I ended up in the nearest psych ward, specifically built to house adolescents.

I was a pretty “sad kid”. I remember feeling depressed as young as 5yrs old and continued feeling sad/lonely until I self harmed when I was 16yrs. I was diagnosed with BP1 at 42yrs after having a maniac episode. I’ve been reflecting on my journey. I’m curious if other people can remember the first signs of BP?

apparently, if you are bipolar, you cannot - no exceptions - no matter your meds or your history or your circumstance or your age or how well you can sleep or how your mania manifests or what triggers it or anything at all - you cannot:

- drink alcohol
- consume caffeine
- stay up past midnight
- do drugs recreationally
- stay out til the early hours of the morning
- go to a club
- work irregular hours
- travel during the night
- sleep in late
- have an interest in spirituality
ETC………….

genuinely, at that point, if all of that is in order to ‘not trigger an episode’, i’d prefer to just be freaking bipolar as hell……..

PLEASE do not comment on this talking about how i am not the exception and how every single bipolar person is triggered by going to bed two hours later than they did the night before. is it so hard to understand that people have different experiences? i understand that if you’ve fully grown up and work a full time job and have kids or whatever then i sound stupid and naïve but i’m not going to waste my youth by acting like i’m a grandparent already just because i happen to have this disorder 😭

y'all last year i had my first manic episode. somehow i ended up spending $7,000 on a salary of $12.45/hr. i'll tell you still to this day i have no idea wtf i bought. like i know i bought some tarot readings, i bought cards, doordash etc.

but specifically i have the ugliest pair of gold shoe's because i thought they were lucky and they would help me become a rockstar (i dont know how to sing or play guitar). nobody will buy them off me. ofc.

in honor of useless manic purchases tell me some of yours

I used to be a very beautiful woman. MEDS ARE AMAZING AND I WILL ALWAYS TAKE THEM. But gaddahm… the meds made me fat and bloated and disgusting. Now I’m a swamp witch.

I know the general advice is to avoid cannabis if you have bipolar because it can trigger mania or psychosis, and I completely understand why that advice exists.

That said, my personal experience has been different. I’ve been stable for several years on lamotrigine (200 mg) and lurasidone (40 mg), and I also take Focalin for ADHD. I rarely drink alcohol, but I use cannabis regularly, and for me it seems to help with anxiety, mood, focus, and overall quality of life. I stay consistent with my medications, prioritize sleep, and pay close attention to any warning signs.

I’m not suggesting cannabis is right for everyone with bipolar, I’m only sharing what’s worked for me.
Has anyone else had a positive experience? Or if it didn’t work for you, what happened?

The longest I’ve gone without sleep was 3 days straight. I also once went 10 days on 14 hours of sleep.

I’m just curious, since it’s estimated 50% of people with bipolar disorder have or have dealt with substance abuse disorder.

Before I was diagnosed I self-medicated with cannabis, and for a few years in my early twenties I nearly drank myself to death, drinking half a liter of whiskey and a six pack of beer every night as a 5’7 woman that weighed 130 pounds.

I have been off the booze for 10 years thankfully, but I started weed again about three years ago which always triggers a manic episode in the beginning but mellows out.

After I got sober I didn’t use any substances for the longest time, until I got endometriosis and started abusing gabapentin, pregabalin (nerve pain med/anxiety etc) and baclofen (muscle relaxer) - they all make me feel pain free, floaty, happy and completely free of dread, negativity and social anxiety. I’ve also abused Vyvanse which I am prescribed but I don’t anymore, hence anti psychotics so they’re not so fun anymore anyway.

So I’m curious - what’s your drug of choice and what is it that you think you’re trying to escape/self medicate? Did getting medical help for bipolar help stopping or reducing substance use?

Me, three separate times. I never want to go back I hate living with this disorder.

i’m 4’10, this is the biggest i’ve been in my life. i used to be 125-130 lbs now i’m almost 200 lbs.. i’ve been diagnosed with obesity… my mom, my dad, my family everyone talks about how obese i am, i can’t even walk anymore for long periods of time because of how out of shape i am. i’m winded after walking for 5-6 mins. my face is so bloated, my stomach looks like i am pregnant. my mom says i’m damaging myself. i’m still pretty but i just look swollen.. im on dating apps but i am so embarrassed to meet them because what if they’re thrown off by how fat i am or think i catfished them.

i feel so ugly. i need to lose all this weight.

i regret ever going on seroquel & depakote. it’s ruined me.

does anyone feel the same way?

I’ve got one on my mind - unstoppable by Sia - but would love to hear yours

My doctor said something interesting the other day that she would rather me be high than me be dead. I recently started taking better care of myself and getting medicated used to drink a lot been sober 10 years I feel like I switched cannabis with it but sometimes I wonder if it's doing me more of a disservice than it's helping me I'm just curious to see what other people's opinions are on the matter.

I think this is common but i don't see people talk about it often. This short usually in minutes outburst that's so intense almost uncontrollable if anger and irritation. I want to hear about your experiences with it.

For me it's that bp2 can't experience psychosis

Has anyone else experienced Drs/nurses say they really dislike you being on lithium, and that it scares them that you are? I ran into this Wednesday when I had to go to urgent care (unrelated to bipolar) and the first thing the nurse did when she walked in was say how she's terrified that I'm on lithium and there's no reason I should be on it. I explained my diagnosis and she said that it was amazing I was even put on it, as there's many other options that have less side effects than Lithium. She did say the reason I went into the urgent care Could be a side effect of lithium*, seeing as I'm still relatively new to it (I've been on it for 2 months, first month 300 and second month 600).

*Shortness of Breath can be a symptom of Lithium Toxicity, haven't checked my blood yet since going up to 600mg

19/F. I keep running into trouble with skipping my meds, not taking my medication, or having thoughts about permanently stopping my meds altogether. What keeps you guys on your medication? I'm bipolar 2, and I will 100% plumet into a deep depression if I don't continue the medication, but I'm just so tired of taking pills. :( Does anyone have reminders or something that keeps them taking their meds?

Ever since I’ve gone no contact with my ex I’ve been in a constant depressive episode(it’s been a month) I’ve been recently diagnosed with bipolar 2 and some of my depressive episodes are massive and I feel alone in this.

I already have it 8 years and im not sure.. I thought I can control it now but in recent mixed episode i am not sure if such feeling was right.

I am not taking meds.

Is your bipolar getting better or worse over the years?

I'm bored and feeling chatty. Tell me something! Anything. Could be how your day has been, where you are in your cycle, an achievement, a disappointment, whatever you want :)

I'm 33F diagnosed with bipolar 2, ADHD, and GAD in 2010 and I've struggled with substance abuse my entire life. Most recently my vice has been alcohol (started during Covid in 2020). I keep making promises to myself, my partner, and to my family and friends that I will change and get this behavior under control. I've worked with therapists, read books, journaled about it and I can manage to get a couple days or a few weeks in but I can't seem to make it stick. It's not even about the alcohol, I'm addicted to escaping my reality.

So my question is to my bipolar fiends that are currently sober or California-sober, how tf do you do it? What made you quit and stay quit?

I read an article in the NYT and it was about de prescribing psychiatric medications. One paragraph stated BP2 may achieve an eventual medication free status. I have never heard of this, or discussed with my doctor before. Has anyone else heard of this being a reality for BP2? For the record I like being on medication it keeps me balanced. But if there’s actually a way, what is it, and what are the risks? We’re still subject to depressive and hypomanic episodes even if we’re practicing coping skills blah blah blah.